


Meet Cute

by chicagoartnerd



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, First Meetings, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-21 15:53:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3698117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chicagoartnerd/pseuds/chicagoartnerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Inquisitor stands Lace Harding up when she tells her to meet her in the Undercroft. But after meeting Dagna there instead Lace suspects the Inquisitor is playing matchmaker.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meet Cute

**Author's Note:**

  * For [originally](https://archiveofourown.org/users/originally/gifts).



“Um hello. The Inquisitor was supposed to meet me down here ?”

There didn’t appear to be anyone down in the Undercroft. That was slightly disheartening because Lace Harding was sure the Inquisitor had told her precisely this time. She was used to the Herald being playful with her but she wasn’t expecting to be pranked like this.

A strangely resonant clang rang out through the gentle hiss of the twin waterfalls at the end of the Undercroft. She looked at the left one just in time to see a flash of red light. Now on her guard she drew her bow and carefully approached the ledge looking out at the Frostbacks.

“Oh! Would you mind handing me that spy glass please?”

Dangling half way off the mountain was a dwarf covered in a collection sloshing potion bottles, leather tool pouches, and what looked like glowing red impact runes.They removed the complicated looking helmet they were wearing to reveal a cheery female face. Harding re-slung her bow in one fluid motion and looked down at her feet dumbly before realizing the spy glass the woman had asked for was there too. She lurched forward and held out the spyglass far as her short arm would let her towards the hanging dwarf. And watched as she took it and eagerly pressed it to her eye before leaning into a small opening on the side of the mountain.

“Ahah! I knew it! This whole mountain used to be full of lyrium! But someone or something removed all of it. Probably before Skyhold was ever built.”

With a click she compressed the spy glass into a small copper circle and shoved it in one of the many pockets in her leather harness. Harding had to stumble back out of the way as the dwarf whipped around through the pounding mist of the waterfall and bumped into the railing. The oddly adorned dwarf scrambled to unhook some of the cables holding her half-off the ground and then fell forward onto it with a grunt. Before Lace could rush forward to help her the woman rose and out-stretched her hand.

“I’m arcanist Dagna! Nice to meet you. Now would you mind taking this over to the forge over there.”

Harding couldn’t refuse as a large chunk of rock was thrust into her arms. She grunted under the weight but carried the rock over to where Dagna had pointed anyway.

“I’m Scout Lace Harding. Nice to meet you too.”

It hadn’t come out as cordial as she had meant it as she was still battling with the cumbersome rock. She did hear Dagna huff a small laugh amid loud clinks as she removed all of the bottles and tools attached to her harness. Harding dropped the rock on the heavy iron bench next to the low inferno that was Skyhold’s forge and turned around just in time to bump into Dagna.

“Thanks! Now all that’s left is to melt it down into its base parts to separate out any grains of lyrium that might be left. But that’s easier said than done as the base silica is extremely thick and made mostly of iron ore. The forge is going to need to be a lot hotter.”

Harding frowned and pointed at the rock.

“Not to point out the obvious but isn't lyrium extremely volatile? If there are bits of lyrium in that rock couldn’t it explode?”

Dagna grinned at her as she activated the heat runes on the sides of the forge.

“Oh sure! In fact there’s a good chance it might, which is why the desk and me will be covered in impact runes, safety first and all that. That’s half the fun after all, seeing something explode!”

Harding took an involuntary step back from the rock she had just set down awfully carelessly for something that was essentially a bomb. This woman was crazy. And yet oddly charming.

Harding watched her work in silence for a little. This dwarf knew her way around the forge like it was a second set of arms. Dagna had said earlier she was an arcanist but Lace didn’t really know what that was. Some sort of researcher or smith, maybe both now that she noticed her custom made rune crafting tools. She would have to admit sheepishly that she didn’t know much about dwarves who lived below the surface. Her family had been farmers in the Hinterlands for two generations and not one of them had ever been deeper below ground than a cellar. Maybe being an arcanist was a way for smith dwarves to travel and study on the surface and that was why she was here? Her curiosity got the better of her manners as she cleared her throat and asked.

“Are you from Orzammar then?”

Dagna almost dropped the delicate crystal looking tools she was holding but caught the twisted purple glass one before it shattered on the stone floor. She turned grinning almost painfully at Lace.

“Yup! Smith caste and all that. Some would say I was born with a silver hammer in my hand but for me it wasn’t a good fit. I had to get out and see the world with a sky, test my limits in my craft, and master something difficult and exciting, you know?”

She didn’t know exactly but she could see that Dagna was embarrassed to be talking about this with her so she was going to nod along carefully. But it must have been obvious things were going in an awkward direction because both of them coughed and tried to speak at the same time. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked, did you not ask Orzammar dwarves why they left? She knew some of them were exiled for criminal activity but that wasn’t the case with Dagna apparently. She shouldn’t have asked. When it looked like Dagna might turn an alarming shade of salmon Harding spoke up.

“Sorry if I overstepped some bounds or just did something rude. I’ve been a surface dwarf all my life so as embarrassing as it is when it comes to Orzammar and dwarven culture I know about as much as your average human.”

She shrugged helplessly. It was frustrating because the only other person she was ever this awkward around was the Inquisitor and that was because she was the Inquisitor, and well because she flirted with her. Shit was she flirting with Dagna? No wonder this was going terribly.

Dagna was now looking at her like she was a particularly curious chain reaction and she couldn’t help but squirm under her hot pointed gaze.

“Really? That must have been different but dwarven culture was never anything I had much interest in unless it related to artifice, runes, or smithing. So no you didn’t offend me it’s just many of the other dwarves I’ve met, besides the Inquisitor, have been really judgemental that I gave up my high caste status to be an arcanist up here on the surface. I was expecting you to scoff a little at least.”

Lace smiled ruefully at that.

“Well if you’re really disappointed I suppose I can scoff a little bit right now.”

Dagna huffed a laugh and whatever nervous current that was between them broke. She watched as Dagna approached her and her breath caught as she came up and reached behind her head. Lace wasn’t sure what she was expecting but her lips parted in anticipation. Dagna carefully drew the long bow from over her shoulder as their eyes met. She was suddenly at a loss for words as Dagna’s mirth filled eyes dilated.

The sound of her dry mouth swallowing the last of its spit was too loud in her own ears that she almost missed Dagna murmuring.

“I think I know why the Inquisitor sent you down here Scout Harding.”

Before her brain could even begin to formulate a reply she was gone with her bow, already hammering and tinkering away on it. Whatever had passed between them just now was over and she now felt slightly disjointed and out of place. As she turned to go Dagna’s light voice called out to her.

“I should be done with this later tonight. If you want to come back and get it then that would be amazing but if not you can come pick it from Harritt tomorrow.”

Her head swam at that. Lace might not have been the most knowledgeable person when it came to flirting and the art of seduction but even she couldn’t miss that invitation. She knew Dagna wasn’t looking at her but she nodded clumsily as she stumbled up the stairs. Now she knew why the Inquisitor had invited her down to the Undercroft and stood her up. She was going to have to buy Cadash a drink some time to thank her.

If the Inquisitor was watching her stupid smile keenly from the across the great hall as she exited the Undercroft Lace didn’t notice. Today was a good day in the Inquisition.

**Author's Note:**

> After writing this I really want to write more Lace and Dagna hanging out. Also smut. So there might be a sequel to this eventually.


End file.
